Air Pods are killing my ears

Submitted by asthetic-chipmunk t3_yidwbt in headphones

Hi all,

First time here so I apologize if this type of post doesn’t belong here. I’ve been using airpod pros for about a year now. I love the convenience of being able to pull them out and having them right when I want to use them. However, I started getting problems like earaches, an ear infection, and other issues I hadn’t ever dealt with before use.? I was wondering if anyone knows of safer headphones that won’t hurt or damage my ears and hearing but also have that convenience factor of keeping them in my pocket until I’m ready to use them. I had read about bone conduction headphones... Does anybody recommend those types of headphones? I am a dishwasher at my job, so finding something similar to the AirPods but safer would be spectacular.

Thanks!

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playgroundmx t1_iui506d wrote

Maybe consult a doctor first to see what’s actually causing it? I suppose any other TWS would work the same way. Are the AirPods clean? Have you check the tips for moulds?

Bone conduction headphones won’t sound as good, and obviously won’t cancel any noise. They’re fantastic if comfort is a high priority as long as you can live with the sound.

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asthetic-chipmunk OP t1_iui7of0 wrote

I actually have a doctor's appointment scheduled in a couple of weeks for my ears! I do clean my AirPods often.

Thank you for the info on the bone-conduction headphones. Right now, comfort is a high priority, so I am open to trying them out.

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ThisIsSoooStupid t1_iui51oz wrote

Ear infections aren't caused by specific earphones but by unclean ones. Your ears maybe more sensitive to them. It could happen if they produce less wax or if you got them cleaned. You can start by cleaning your earbuds often, esp the rubber tips . I use qtips dipped in isopropyl alcohol to clean them after removing them.

Ear aches could be because of the size of the earbuds you are using, try using the smallest, of that doesn't help them you'll have to find something that has smaller nozzles than airpod pro

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ThisIsSoooStupid t1_iui5fn4 wrote

To add to this, you are a dishwasher, are you working in hot environments with earbuds inside your ears for long durations? That could be the cause. You are essentially providing a warm, damp and wet area for infection to develop.

But yes, consult a doctor, i don't think changing earphones will change much. I can't comment on bone conducting earphones .

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asthetic-chipmunk OP t1_iui6x68 wrote

Thank you for the response. I often clean them with alcohol pads, but it could very well be the size of earbuds too.

I wear them longer than the recommended duration while dishwashing. I probably just set myself up for discomfort by doing so. On the bright side, the infection is gone, but I still have fluid trapped in my ear. I go back to the doc in a couple of weeks to get them checked on again.

Thanks again

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ThisIsSoooStupid t1_iui7ld5 wrote

Try taking breaks. Maybe listen to them for an hour then let your ears breathe for 10 mins and so on.

During covid many PPL switched to using earbuds for conf calls while wfh . I specifically remember a news report stating that this hd caused an upswing in cases of war infection because people would use them for the full duration of the work day.

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asthetic-chipmunk OP t1_iui99aa wrote

Oh yeah, I remember seeing something like that too. Yeah, I will start to take a decent amount of breaks for sure. Thank you for the helpful info.

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ultima-ratio-populi t1_iuj7nbz wrote

IMO I'd get some over-ear cans to give your earholes a break every once in a while.

I hear the cheap bone conduction headphones are about as good as the more expensive ones, if you just need something and can deal with crappy sound maybe that's the way. I hear they're good for podcasts and audiobooks.

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Kirei13 t1_iujuboz wrote

Earwax impaction is likely the cause. The doctor will be able to tell quickly.

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